It’s been a bit since New England Patriots fans have had meaningful football to watch, but there’s something going down in Mobile, Ala. on Saturday that should have your attention.
The Senior Bowl is here!
It would be much cooler to be playing for a Super Bowl, yes, but it’s better than that boring December game against the Los Angeles Chargers, right?
The Patriots have a lot of important business to handle this week, having used the Senior Bowl as an opportunity to find prospects like Kyle Dugger, Josh Uche, Bryce Baringer and Jake Andrews in recent years.
There are a number of prospects in 2024 who will have an opportunity to make a statement in front of New England’s brass. These are the guys we think can do that throughout the week at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
QB Spencer Rattler (South Carolina)
Spencer Rattler might not be the first name you expected to read, but we’ve got our reasons for selecting him for this list. Patriots assistant Troy Brown was tabbed as the offensive coordinator for the American Team this year, so he’ll be calling plays for Rattler.
Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix, two prospects who could fight their way into the first round with a good week, will be playing for the National Team, which is an unlucky draw for New England. Rattler’s still got the arm talent to make himself valuable as a potential mid-round pick for a team like the Patriots who need to revamp their QB room.
WR Ladd McConkey (Georgia)
WR Xavier Legette (South Carolina)
WR Jamari Thrash (Louisville)
The Patriots’ need for talent at wide receiver is so dire they could end up drafting two or three in April. This is the group we’ll be keeping our eyes on, as they’ll be building a direct relationship with Brown this week.
McConkey is an incredibly productive player who will be ready to play immediately. Legette might give New England an opportunity to exercise their Deebo Samuel-sized demons. Thrash already has people falling in love with him. This is a fun group.
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DT T’Vondre Sweat (Texas)
It might turn people off that Sweat decided not to be weighed at the Senior Bowl, but the tape doesn’t lie. He might be the most dominant interior defensive lineman in the draft, which feels like it would catch the Patriots’ attention.
OL Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma)
It took all of five minutes in Mobile before Tyler Guyton started getting compared to Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyrone Smith.
New England’s in desperate need of talent at that position, and the depth at tackle in this class might allow them to steal a player of this caliber in the later part of the first round — should they end up there via trade.
DB Max Melton (Rutgers)
DB Cole Bishop (Utah)
DB Khyree Jackson (Oregon)
If we’re going to be looking at the American Team’s wideouts, we should also take a look at the National Team’s defensive backfield. Brown will have equally as good a look at this group as his own, which could give New England some solid intel if it’s looking to add defensive depth in the draft.
DB/ATH Sione Vaki (Utah)
Vaki is another National Team defensive back, but he deserves a spot of his own on this list. Utah deployed him in a ton of ways, playing him at safety for the majority of tenure, but leaning on him as their top running back throughout last season. He was the Utes’ best player on both sides of the ball and fits the mold of a Patriots draft pick.
It would help our case if Bill Belichick was still in the building, but we’re working with what we’ve got.
K Will Reichard (Alabama)
If you want a reason for this entry, just go look at Chad Ryland’s rookie stats and take a glimpse at the sentence we wrote above this.
QB Joe Milton III (Tennessee)
There was no world in which we didn’t double dip at QB.
Milton is almost the opposite of Rattler, as he’s the most physically imposing option in this class with the biggest arm. He doesn’t exactly have the accuracy teams are looking for, but as a developmental prospect, he’ll certainly wow someone.
It just might be the Patriots.
